Gentle Rain
by woolhat
Summary: Apollo is worried that Klavier has a problem with him, so he invites the man out for drinks one night to ask him about it. It turns out that Klavier feels quite the opposite, even if Apollo is slow to catch on...


The music was too loud and Apollo was too drunk. He couldn't even hear his own voice, which made this so much easier. He wasn't going to do this any other way.

"I want to talk to you about something," Apollo shouted over the pounding cacophony enveloping the club around them. "If that's okay!" he added lamely as an afterthought.

Klavier leaned—leaned! Apollo was so short—down and moved his ear more towards Apollo's mouth. "What was that?" he asked.

"I want to talk to you!" Apollo shouted again, feeling simultaneously foolish yet suave and perfectly clever. The rum was doing its job well.

Klavier turned and grasped Apollo's shoulders. He leaned in. "This isn't a great spot, Herr Forehead. It's so noisy," he said loudly. He quickly turned as a woman next to him screamed and started gushing to her friend next to her. "…Gavinners!" Apollo caught. He took a deep breath.

"I couldn't talk to you about this sober," he yelled again, too honest. "So it's gotta be now."

"Let's move somewhere quieter, then!" If Apollo's confession phased him, he didn't show it.

Apollo grabbed onto Klavier's arm as the prosecutor led him through the club. Walking past the band, the bar, and down a hall still packed full of people. The club was, as the kids say, _lit._

He laughed to himself.

Klavier turned and led him up some stairs. They were steep and Apollo had to concentrate hard not to trip and fall back down, dragging the prosecutor with him. He wondered if the other man had party insurance, and whether being a rockstar was a pre-existing condition. Or was that sort of thing only for healthcare? Apollo never took a course in insurance law during his time at law school.

Klavier turned right at the top of the stairs (he'd clearly been here a few times) and pulled them into a quiet, well-lit room. They were alone. Immediately, Apollo could feel his ears ringing at a level that negated the decrease in external noise around them. He plugged his ears with his knuckles.

"So loud!" he called out pointlessly.

If Klavier was comparably affected, he didn't show it. "What did you want to say?" he asked with appropriate concern. "Is everything alright, Apollo?"

' _Apollo'. Damn, he must have sounded serious._

"Uh, yeah, things are good," Apollo responded, too loudly. Now that he didn't have the protection of thunderous music and screaming youths to bolster his confidence, it was up to the alcohol alone to get him through his. He wished he had another drink.

"Mhm. And?"

Apollo sighed and looked down at the floor. He gestured vaguely with his arms, trying to emphasize his discomfort.

"Do you…do you hate me?" he asked. "Because it feels like you hate me."

Klavier tilted his head. Whatever he was expecting Apollo to say, it clearly wasn't this.

"Do I hate you?" he repeated slowly, clearly confused.

"Yeah. Or not _hate_ , if that's a strong word, but like…do I annoy you, or something?"

Klavier tapped his foot against the ground as he looked away from Apollo and around the tiny room. It seemed they were in a staff room—probably not somewhere they were allowed to be. But Apollo didn't care right now, because his heart was pounding and Klavier was taking far too long to respond.

"Nein, of course not. I don't hate you," he finally answered, a strange tone varnishing his words. "And you don't annoy me. Why would you think that?"

Apollo didn't prepare the conversation any farther than this in his head. Getting to this point was too much mental effort.

"It's just the vibe I get from you, I guess," Apollo said, not making eye contact. He leaned back against the wall and stared down at his shoes. It seemed there was a piece of confetti stuck to his right foot.

"That's descriptive," Klavier said sarcastically, leaning back beside Apollo. There was nothing stuck to his shoes. "Um. Does this… have anything to do with Kristoph?"

"No," Apollo lied immediately. "Well. Maybe a bit. But—"

"You were doing your job. I was doing mine. I don't begrudge you for it," Klavier quickly interjected.

Apollo sighed. This wasn't the conversation that needed to happen again. "Thank you. But that's not entirely it, though."

"Then what is it?" Klavier asked, clearly impatient.

Apollo finally looked up at Klavier's face. "After Crescend was arrested, you started acting differently around me. At first, I just figured that you were sad that you lost your friend, but after seeing you interact with basically everyone else, it felt personal. And yeah, we hadn't know each other for very long, but it still seemed like a big change."

Klavier didn't respond, but Apollo's bracelet started to feel slightly tighter. Perhaps he was on the right track.

"I don't know why," Apollo continued. "I guess that's what I'm trying to ask you. If I did something wrong, I'm sorry."

Klavier smiled. It seemed like a sad smile. "I'm sorry I worried you," he apologized in return. "But if I hated you, then why would I agree to go out for drinks with you?"

"You're… _you_. You like loud music and alcohol."

"Not with people I don't like."

Apollo looked away again, uncomfortable. He looked down at his watch for something to do. It was only ten-thirty, but it felt like the middle of the night.

"I'll admit, I was surprised you invited me here," Klavier said. "I didn't think you were cool enough to know this place existed, Herr Forehead. And aren't you usually asleep by now?"

"Ha, ha." Apollo was in bed by ten on most nights. He wasn't going to say that.

"But seriously, Apollo." The use of his first name always felt so personal. "It surprises me that you thought I didn't like you. As dorky as you are, you're pretty great."

But Klavier couldn't have been entirely clueless. "So does Machi's case have something to do with my confusion?" Apollo asked.

Klavier stopped leaning against the wall and gestured to the door. "That is a story for another time, Herr Forehead. But I can _promise_ you that you're the apple of my eye." He held out his hand dramatically. "Come, my prince. Shall we return to the world of music and booze?"

Apollo hoped he didn't blush like a fool. Nothing tripped him up more than when Klavier flirted with him. Now that he knew the man didn't hate him…

He stood there awkwardly until Klavier grabbed his hand and opened the door, leading them back down to the bar. The overwhelming noise of the crowd and music below grew louder with every step they took. He slowed down. "Um…"

Klavier let go of his hand and turned back. "If this is not your scene, Forehead, we can go somewhere else," he shouted, clearly sensing Apollo's hesitation. "The night is still young, and so are we!"

Apollo nodded and followed Klavier down the rest of the stairs. They maneuvered their way through the crowd with some difficulty, but soon enough they were standing on the sidewalk. Another scream behind him indicated there were some more drunk Gavinners fans excitedly waiting in line to get into the club.

"Let's go," Apollo said quietly. He hoped the people behind them didn't try to follow.

He let Klavier continue to lead the way, for it was clear he had a place in mind. They walked quickly through the humid evening air and didn't slow down until they reached an old wooden building a few blocks away. Klavier entered the large ornate door first, nodding at a man in a suit standing solemnly inside the door. Did the prosecutor frequent every bar in the city?

"This place should be a little more your style," Klavier said, but Apollo was slightly horrified. He looked around at the extravagant room around him, furnished with polished dark wood and long handcrafted rugs. Huge oil paintings covered the walls, lit by soft orange candlelight. The waitstaff were very formally dressed.

"This place seems very fancy," Apollo whispered quietly.

"Don't worry about that. My treat," Klavier said smoothly. "Let's go sit over there by the window."

Apollo was glad he was still dressed in the suit he'd worn to the courthouse earlier in the day. It made him feel hideously out of place at the club, but the level of formality expected at this establishment would have accepted nothing less. He wasn't even sure he was allowed to take off his jacket here.

But Klavier did, so he followed suit. _Heh, suit._ He was still a bit tipsy.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Klavier said after they'd settled in with the drink menus. "So we're going to start over."

Apollo frowned. "We've known each other for almost a year."

Klavier shook his head gently. "It's never too late to start over, Herr Justice."

"If you say so."

Klavier grinned. "I certainly do." He held out his hand. "Klavier Gavin, attorney at law. Pleased to meet you."

Apollo laughed as he shook Klavier's hand.

"Come on, introduce yourself!" Klavier teased. "How am I supposed to know who you are?"

"Apollo Justice…Esquire," Apollo eventually responded through his laughter. He tried to let go of Klavier's hand, but the man kept shaking it. This just made Apollo laugh even harder. Part of him hoped they weren't causing a scene.

"That's the spirit, Forehead," Klavier said, letting go. He picked up the menu and flipped through it.

"Wait, why did you call me that? I just met you!" Apollo protested.

Klavier slammed the menu down. "Great question," he said dramatically. Was he drunk too? Apollo hadn't noticed. "You have a devilishly handsome forehead, and I couldn't help but notice."

"How does someone have a handsome forehead?"

Klavier shrugged. "I guess by having a handsome face attached to it."

Apollo tilted the tall menu upwards so he was hiding behind it. He pretended to be very interested in the house selection of whiskey drinks. _Oh look, that one has a jalapeño in it._

He was soon saved by the appearance of a waiter. Apollo realized he hadn't chosen anything and quickly scanned one of the pages, settling on a beer with a price that didn't turn his stomach. He closed the menu and watched Klavier order something much fancier with a French-sounding name. He had no idea what it was.

Klavier gave him a look a few seconds after the waiter walked away.

"What!" Apollo asked, defensive.

"You don't come here and order beer you could buy in a can, come on."

"Everything else is like twenty dollars," Apollo hissed.

Klavier smiled and looked down at his lap. "Don't worry about the prices," he said. He seemed to fiddle with the tablecloth.

"I don't want to be rude or anything," Apollo said, but Klavier just smiled.

He looked out the window at the nighttime street. The road glistened brightly with the reflection of the street lamps—it had started to rain. People outside were hurrying between their destinations.

"Guess we'll have to stay here and drink all night," Klavier joked.

"I'd probably fall asleep under the table." They both laughed.

"So, Herr Justice," Klavier began after a moment of comfortable silence, "Seeing as we just met, I'd like to learn more about you. What deep thoughts and storied histories lay behind that beautiful forehead?"

"Why do you keep doing that?" Apollo asked, not answering his question.

"Keep doing what?"

Apollo adjusted the cuff of his rolled-up sleeve. "… Flirting with me like that," he said after a pause. "It's kinda strange."

Klavier blinked.

"Oh my god," Apollo rolled his eyes, but he was laughing. "You don't even realize you're doing it, do you? It must be second nature to you."

Klavier didn't say anything.

"It's okay, I mean, it doesn't bother me or anything. I just find it weird. I don't know anyone else who talks like that," Apollo rambled. "I guess you're used to it if you're famous."

"I guess so," Klavier repeated absentmindedly.

The waiter soon returned with the drinks they ordered. Klavier appeared to have chosen some type of white wine. It was served in a beautiful crystal wine glass that looked like something out of a fantasy movie. Apollo felt downright childish in comparison.

He must have looked at the wine longingly, for as soon as the waiter left, Klavier asked if he wanted to trade.

"No! That's okay! It's just a cool glass," Apollo said quickly. "Anyway, what were you asking me before? About my thoughts?"

Klavier seemed to perk up. "Oh. Ja. I just want to know a bit more about you, given as we have never met before this evening."

"Right, that makes sense, Mr. Gavin." The name felt weird in Apollo's mouth and he wished he hadn't said it. He tried not to stumble over it by continuing to speak. "What would you like to know?"

Klavier took a sip of wine. "I guess we could start with the obvious. Why law?"

Apollo raised his eyebrows and set down his own glass. "That's a really big question with a really, _really_ long answer," he said. "Are you sure you want to get into it?"

"Now I'm even more curious," Klavier responded, leaning forward. "It sounds like you've got a great story."

"Only if great stories contain foreign countries, rebellions, criminalization of defence attorneys, and a couple of astronauts," Apollo said dramatically. He wiggled his eyebrows. If he was going to drone on about this again, he might as well have some fun with it."

Klavier shook his head, bewildered. "You amaze me more at every turn, Herr Forehead," he said. "Do go on."

Apollo began to explain his journey to the law, from his time spent in Khura'in as a child to his move to California when he was in grade school. He described how he idolized his foster father and wanted nothing more to help him in his political goals, even if he didn't really understand the nuances at the time. He realized after a couple of minutes that he'd only ever shared this information about himself with Clay. Furthermore, he was entirely at ease talking to Klavier about it.

"And I never forgot what he was fighting for, even if I was on the other side of the ocean. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. At any cost! If I could become a lawyer like him, then I would be happy."

"And are you?" Klavier asked. His eyes were wide wide and he was clearly listening intently.

"Yeah, I…I think so," Apollo responded. "I've never really thought about it, you know? Am I happy? Is that weird?"

"Maybe a little bit."

"Part of me thinks I should go back. I should go back and see what he's up to, since I haven't seen him in so long… But I'm kind of scared to go."

"Why is that?" Klavier asked.

Apollo sighed. "I never felt like I fit in anywhere. In Khura'in, I didn't speak the language very well and I looked a lot different than everyone around me. The kids never _said_ anything, but it was always very obvious that I wasn't one of them. But then when I moved here, I'd missed so much standard American culture growing up that I didn't understand a lot of what other kids liked. I didn't know about American games, books, TV shows…stuff like that. I think I've finally convinced myself that I belong here, but…"

"Of course you belong here!"

Apollo shook his head. "It's not that simple. And I think if I went back to Khura'in now, I'd feel like I didn't belong there, either."

"I'm sure your family would love to see you."

"Well, maybe."

Klavier gently slammed his fist into the table. "Of course they would!"

But Apollo didn't respond.

Neither of them spoke until the waiter returned to the table. Apollo ordered another beer and Klavier didn't protest. He'd long since finished the wine, but he simply ordered a water this time. Apollo didn't ask.

"I think I can relate to what you're talking about," Klavier eventually said. "I'm not from California, either."

"Wait, you're not?" Apollo asked. He was surprised—he just assumed Klavier had lived here his entire life. "You're not actually…you're not _actually_ German, are you?" He'd thought that was just a silly accent Klavier invented to sound cool. It was wildly inconsistent most of the time, and his brother didn't sound German.

"My grandmother is. But as for the rest of them, the Gavin family is from good ol' Ohio."

"Ohio! Really! That…"

Klavier grinned. "Seems hard to picture? I'm sure that's by design. You'd never believe that sexy prosecuting rock god Klavier Gavin and his uptight urbane brother are from an apple tree farm in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh my god." Apollo didn't know what to say.

"So I think I can see where you're coming from, Herr Forehead. Your situation is a bit more extreme, but I can relate to the feeling of wanting to belong somewhere new."

"How did you end up in Los Angeles?" Apollo asked.

Klavier's gaze slowly lowered back down to the table. "Let's just say the prodigal sons were afraid the apple wouldn't fall far from the tree."

"What?"

Klavier laughed softly and shook his head. "Someday, Apollo. Someday."

"Um, okay." Apollo scratched the back of his neck. He was never good with vague poetics.

"But back to what you were saying," Klavier continued, "I think you should go back. You might regret it later if you don't."

"Yeah, maybe I would…" Apollo avoided the temptation to give Klavier the very same advice.

The prosecutor smiled. It was a melancholic, sad smile this time. "I think they'd be proud of the man you've become."

Apollo felt his face warming, but he didn't try to hide it. "You're too nice to me," he said.

"Ach, nonsense. I don't think I'm nice enough."

"Do you always get this sappy when you drink?" Apollo joked.

Klavier held up his glass of water. "I'll have you know I'm more sober now than on any given Tuesday afternoon."

"Sounds like you have some pretty good Tuesdays."

"You've not truly become a lawyer until you've won a case drunk," he said. "Don't tell Prosecutor Edgeworth."

Apollo sighed. "This is the sort of thing that gives lawyers a really bad reputation with alcohol." He slid his glass across the table towards Klavier. "But now I just feel sorry for you."

"Why is that?" Klavier asked, taking a sip of Apollo's beer.

"You could be having fun dancing at a club right now. I don't mind if you want to go back, it's okay."

"But you don't want to go back, right?"

Apollo made a face. It looked like a cross between embarrassment and exasperation. "Well. No. But you don't have to stay with me all night!"

Klavier immediately smiled, which made Apollo sigh.

"Come on, you know what I mean!" he said. "This place is nice, but you can go do whatever you want. I'm completely willing to go to sleep right now."

"Is this your way of saying you'd like to go home?" Klavier asked, amused.

"If I wanted to leave, I'd just leave," Apollo said. His words were harsh but he was clearly in a good mood. "I don't wait for _you_ to say the word."

"Ah, good to know."

"And now I've decided I want to leave."

—-

Apollo stood awkwardly by the door as he waited for Klavier to pay. He wasn't sure what to do with his hands or where to look, like he suddenly forgot how to exist in public space. Furthermore, he was painfully aware of how little time they spent here and how oddly sober they seemed to be. He wondered if Klavier thought it strange.

He had a lot to process, though, and he wanted to go home and think. It was also midnight, which was much too late for him to not be in his pyjamas at home.

Klavier eventually reappeared around the corner and caught Apollo mid-yawn.

"Will your chariot be turning into a pumpkin any time soon?" he asked.

Apollo nodded through his yawn. "And then I have to drag it home. It's very tiring," he said.

Klavier nodded solemnly. "Sounds difficult. Would you like me to help you out?" he asked.

"Sure. It's a heavy pumpkin."

They stepped outside and onto the wet sidewalk. The rain had stopped, which meant he could walk home instead of spending money on a taxi. He was grateful for that.

About thirty seconds later, Apollo realized what Klavier's earlier joke meant. They were walking in the same direction, but Apollo was pretty sure Klavier didn't live nearby.

"Hey, you don't have to walk me home," Apollo said. "It's okay."

"Would you _prefer_ to walk alone?" Klavier asked.

"No, not really," Apollo admitted, buttoning his jacket. He looked over at Klavier and smiled. "It's nice to have company."

"I'm glad."

They let the silence take over as they continued down the sidewalk, managing to avoid large puddles that had accumulated in the uneven areas of the concrete path. The streets were relatively empty—it was a weekday, after all.

Klavier then broke the silence with a question that blindsided Apollo.

"Are you straight?" he asked.

Apollo didn't think he heard him right. "Sorry, what did you say?" he asked, but his heart began to pound anyway.

Klavier didn't look over or slow down at all. "Are you heterosexual?" he reworded.

Apollo's brain malfunctioned. He was filled with a deep feeling of panic but couldn't access any words at all. He looked over at Klavier with the best neutral expression he could manage.

"Uh. Why?" he managed to ask.

Klavier stopped walking. He turned to Apollo and smiled a bit, but it looked like he was trying not to. He gathered his hair in one hand and moved it to the other side of his head. Was he… embarrassed? Klavier Gavin?

Nah, that wasn't possible.

"Well, I…" he stopped, cleared his throat. "I _thought_ I'd been unsubtly flirting with you all evening, but I wasn't sure how you were taking it." He looked away and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Now I'm not sure you realized at all."

Apollo frowned. "Well, yeah, I got the flirting part." What was happening right now?

Klavier's face fell. "Um. Oh. Okay then," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? For what?"

Klavier sighed. "I don't know what's happening in this conversation right now."

"Me neither," Apollo agreed. There was no way he was interpreting this correctly. What he was thinking was _silly_ and unlikely. Klavier flirted with everyone, so what was the issue here? Apollo knew he was like that, and that was okay. Even considering another possibility was just going to hurt him later.

Klavier chuckled. "You're really making me spell this out, Herr Forehead. Is that what you want?"

Apollo's heart was in his throat. "Yep," he said. He tried to exhale slowly through his nose. No, wait. There was no way this was anything else.

Klavier gently rested his hand on Apollo's shoulder.

"Herr Justice," he began dramatically, clearly stalling for a few seconds, "I was trying to say—"

Apollo leaned forward and kissed Klavier mid-sentence. It was quick, gentle, and he pulled back before Klavier even had a chance to realize what was happening.

His nerves were on fire.

"Oh," Klavier said softly. He smiled. "Ja, that's more or less what I meant."

"I'm not straight," Apollo added quickly. He couldn't stop a large goofy grin from overtaking his face.

"Yes, I figured as much," Klavier said, laughing. It was a beautiful sound.

Apollo laughed too, relieved. He placed his hands on Klavier's upper arms and kissed him again, slower and more deliberately this time. Klavier responded in kind, his soft lips moving gently against Apollo's for what felt like a blissful forever, though it could only have been a few seconds. Apollo could barely believe this was happening.

"I guess you don't hate me after all," he said when Klavier wrapped his arms tightly around Apollo in a crushing hug. "That's good," he added quietly.

"You're adorable," Klavier said, and squeezed him tighter. "I absolutely do not hate you."

"So I guess… I guess you _were_ trying to flirt with me," Apollo said.

"Yes! I said that!" Klavier responded, rubbing his hand against his face. "I don't know how you didn't understand."

"You talk like that to everyone, though," Apollo said.

"No, not really!"

They stared at one another for a few seconds before Klavier leaned in and gently kissed Apollo again. "You're such a dork," he said, and then kissed Apollo on the forehead.

It was like a secret weight had been lifted from Apollo's shoulders—he didn't know it had been there, but he felt much lighter now. He wanted nothing more than to stand right here on this damp sidewalk and stare at the other man forever. The other, wonderful, handsome man that thought _he_ was attractive. Apollo laughed again.

The man in question looked down at his phone. "As much as I would love to stand here all night, Herr Forehead, we should probably be on our way. We're a thousand hours past your bedtime."

Apollo folded his arms and ignored the joke about his sleep schedule. "You're still gonna call me that."

"Of course," Klavier said. He raised an eyebrow. "That's just your name. Why wouldn't I?" He held out his hand—not for the first time that night—and pulled Apollo closer.

"Let's get you home."

It had started to rain again by the time they reached Apollo's apartment. This normally wouldn't have bothered Apollo, as he was about to go inside where it was dry, but he wasn't sure how to gracefully handle this particular situation.

He took longer than he should have to fish his keys out of his pocket, waiting for Klavier to somehow take the lead in this situation. He didn't.

They stood there in silence in the gentle rain.

"Um…" Apollo eventually said, slowly looking back up at Klavier, "It's raining again."

"Ja, seems to be."

"Did you…" he trailed off.

Klavier raised an eyebrow and tried to hide a smile. "Yes?"

Apollo sighed. "Did you want to just stay here tonight?"

The smile could hide no longer, and the prosecutor had to look away. "If you're being serious, sure. I can sleep on your couch. Thank you."

Apollo was glad Klavier was specific about what he expected, as he was absolutely out of his element here. "Okay, great," he said, and unlocked the door. They headed through the lobby and into the stairwell.

"I just live on the third floor," Apollo said.

"Do you have any roommates?" Klavier asked, climbing the stairs behind him.

"No, not anymore. I used to live with my friend Clay, but he wanted to be closer to his job, so we moved out. I found a one-bedroom apartment here for about the same price as before."

"It's always nice to have your own space," Klavier said neutrally.

Apollo shrugged. "It was fun living with Clay. We got along, and he was clean."

"You'll have to introduce me sometime."

A warmth spread through Apollo's chest. "Yeah. Yeah, I think he'd like you."

Apollo's apartment was in the middle of the hallway, across from the elevator.

"I hope you like cats," he said as he unlocked the door. "And I _really_ hope you're not allergic to them." He wondered if he should have asked about that before they got here.

"How many cats do you have?" Klavier slowly asked, a suspicious tone running through his words.

Apollo laughed nervously. "Oh, just one! But she's very needy, so she'll probably try to sleep on you…" He paused, embarrassed. He really wasn't selling this situation very well.

"No worries, I'm not allergic to any animals. Just don't try to give me penicillin," Klavier said.

Apollo opened the door and stepped inside, holding it open for Klavier. "Damn. That's what I was going to give you for breakfast," he joked.

"So you're planning on feeding me?" Klavier asked. He smiled. "How lovely. You're an excellent host, Herr Forehead."

"I try my best."

As Apollo expected would happen, they were greeted by eager meows as soon as they closed the door. The large calico cat immediately brushed against Klavier's leg, purring.

"She seems friendly," Klavier said, crouching down to stroke the cat's head. "What's her name?"

"Mikeko. It means 'calico' in Japanese, apparently," Apollo replied. He shrugged. "The woman I adopted her from named her."

Klavier smiled and shook his head as he continued to bond with the cat, who had rolled over and allowed a belly rub. "Everyone has the weirdest pet names," he muttered.

Apollo didn't catch on right away, but a few minutes later when he was rooting through his closet for some blankets, he realized what Klavier had been referencing.

"Who got Vongole?" he asked loudly, his head still deep inside the closet.

"Mariam Verger," Klavier responded from directly behind Apollo. The defence attorney jumped in surprise and accidentally pulled a stack of wool blankets to the floor.

"Here, you're getting these," he said to Klavier, handing him the comically large pile that had fallen. It was much too warm for most of these blankets. "I can't find the softer ones. And, who?"

"Kristoph's lawyer."

"Oh."

What a job that would be. Her services probably cost more than Apollo had ever made in his entire life. "You didn't want the dog?"

"I am away from home far too often to take care of a dog. Especially one as old as Vongole."

"Fair enough," Apollo said. He found a pillowcase and went into his bedroom to retrieve one of his pillows. "You know… lawyers are a lot different than I expected them to be when I was in school," he said when he returned to the living room.

"What do you mean?" Klavier asked.

Apollo pulled the pillowcase off his pillow and unfolded the new one. "Everyone's a lot more…friendly? I guess? With each other, I mean. A lot of lawyers seem to know each other personally." He stuffed the pillow in the case and tossed it at Klavier, who was sitting on the couch.

Klavier chuckled. "I'm not sure you'd say Kristoph is friends with Frau Verger," he said, hugging the overstuffed pillow to his chest. "He respects her, sure, but I think you paint too rosy a picture. She might just like dogs."

"I guess I just meant in general," Apollo said. "Look at us. I see you in court all the time and now you're sleeping on my couch."

The prosecutor grinned. "And I am honoured to be given the opportunity."

Apollo suddenly realized that although he had no trouble laying on that couch, he was much shorter than Klavier.

"Is the couch long enough?" he asked. He felt foolish for not checking earlier.

Klavier moved the pile of blankets to the floor and lay down along the length of the couch. His feet dangled over the edge.

"Almost," he said, wiggling his feet.

This effort was entirely pointless, Apollo admitted to himself with a small smile. It was a futile exercise in…well, what, exactly? Noble purity? It wasn't like Klavier was a date he'd brought home to his parents' house and they had to begrudgingly follow their rules.

"Guess you're sleeping with me," Apollo said, gathering up the blankets and pillow. He knew what that sounded like but he let the ambiguity hang in the air as he folded the blankets back up and shoved them back into the closet. "If that's okay with you."

"It is more than okay with me," Klavier responded quickly. He followed Apollo down the hall and into his bedroom, falling dramatically onto the bed.

"Yes, this is large enough," he mumbled into the comforter.

"It better be, it's a king-sized mattress."

Klavier's head snapped upward. He rested his chin on a pillow. "Why do you have such a large bed?" he asked, grinning mischievously. "Do you often have guests?"

"Oh yeah," Apollo said. "Loads. Every night. So many orgies."

"And you didn't invite me?"

"Your invitation must have gotten lost in the mail," Apollo responded. He was _extremely_ nervous but thankful he could maintain his usual levels of terrible sarcastic banter. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he opted to start removing his tie. He hoped he didn't look as shaky as he felt. _Klavier Gavin was laying on his goddamn bed._

He looked back at Klavier, who was just watching with an interesting look on his face. "Should I avert my eyes?" he asked. Was the man amused? Nervous? He couldn't tell.

"Nope," Apollo said before he could come up with a better response. "Watch all you want."

That shut Klavier up.

Apollo briefly considered just removing his tie and then hopping into bed as a joke but decided against it. Then he wondered if Klavier expected him to do a strip-tease. Oh no.

He tried to stop overthinking it and just keep going like he normally would. He folded his tie in half and set it down on his dresser next to his gold bracelet. He removed his vest, his belt, and then began unbuttoning his shirt.

"What should I wear?" Klavier asked.

"What do you normally wear?" _This is such a weird situation_ , Apollo thought. They were in some strange uncharted limbo between 'childhood sleepover' and 'one-night stand'.

"Not much." Or perhaps they were miles away from 'childhood sleepover'.

Apollo crumpled up his shirt and threw it into a laundry basket. Honesty was probably the best route to take here. "Look," he said, "I'm super nervous and have no idea what's supposed to be happening right now."

Klavier sat up.

"I don't think anything is 'supposed' to be happening… and I'm pretty nervous, too," he admitted. "We can just go to sleep."

"Is that what you want?" Apollo asked.

"Well..." Klavier laughed nervously. "I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do, Apollo. I want you to be comfortable."

Hmm, what _did_ he want? Maybe he would figure it out later.

"I usually sleep in my underwear, so you can do that…if you like," Apollo said, kicking off his pants. He realized Mikeko was sitting behind the laundry basket, so he scooped her up and set her outside his door. He closed it softly and turned back to Klavier, who was in the process of removing a metric tonne of silver jewelry and setting it on one of the bedside tables.

"If you fell into the water, would you instantly sink to the bottom with all that metal?" he asked the singer.

"Probably. Do you have lifeguard training?"

"Nope," Apollo said. "So you'd probably die."

"You wouldn't even try mouth-to-mouth?" Klavier joked.

"Nope," Apollo repeated, laughing, "Because you'd be at the bottom of a lake or something." He pulled back the corner of the comforter and climbed into bed. "Don't worry, I'd cry a bit."

Klavier set down another ring and leaned over to kiss Apollo. "As long as it was at least a little bit," he said, and then slid off the bed onto his feet.

Apollo tried not to stare, but watching Klavier undress was probably the best thing he'd ever witnessed. If he had a camera and a stunning lack of morals, he could probably make a fortune from filming it secretly. But knowing that he was the only one to see this right now made it that much better.

"You're doing that thing you do in court," Klavier said as he took off his socks. Apollo got an excellent view of his ass when he bent over. His underwear—the same purple as his jacket—was very tight.

"What thing?"

"When you say the witness is lying because they blinked wrong or scratched their arm." His eyes were wide and bulging, and he made a funny grin.

"I don't do that!" Apollo protested, but he laughed.

Klavier turned off the light and slid into the other side of the bed. He pulled the covers up to his chin. "I should warn you, I tend to steal the blankets," he said. They stared at each other across the vast expanse of mattress.

"You're so far away."

From under the blanket, Apollo moved closer to the centre of the bed and rested his head against Klavier's pillow. "So what was that story about how you started acting differently?" he asked softly. "Earlier, at that club, you never really answered my question. Did that case have something to do with it?"

Klavier exhaled slowly. "Oh, shit," he said, a smile in his voice. "It's extremely embarrassing."

"Now you _have_ to tell me," Apollo said.

"Daryan never said anything to you?" Klavier asked.

"About what?"

Klavier laughed. "Okay, so he didn't. Trust me, you'd know what I meant if he mentioned it."

"Well, he didn't, so please just spit it out!"

Klavier rubbed his eyes with his palms and looked up at the ceiling. "Daryan and I used to hook up sometimes, and—"

"Wait, when you say that, do you mean—"

The prosecutor sighed in frustration. "Daryan and I used to have sex sometimes when we were drunk or bored. It went on for years. One time, about a week before he was arrested…hmm, actually, that was the last time, now that I think about it. Anyway, the last time it happened, I accidentally called him 'Apollo'. He made fun of me for days and said he was going to tell you if he ever met you."

Apollo didn't say anything. He had so many questions.

"Apollo?"

"I…uh… Wasn't expecting you to say that," Apollo said, trying not to laugh. "You only knew me for like a month then, right?"

"Yeah, something like that," Klavier responded. "You can probably see why I didn't want to say anything."

"I guess it explains a lot." The more Apollo thought about it, the more surreal and hilarious it seemed. Incidentally, he now found himself slightly aroused. "What was he doing while you were thinking about me?"

Klavier cleared his throat. "I believe he was…ah, _fellating_ me."

Apollo laughed and felt his face become warm. "That sounds so hot."

"Oh, it was. Let me know if you'd ever like to re-enact it."

Apollo responded by shifting himself over so he was lying directly on top of Klavier. He could feel the other man's erection pressing firmly against his own, so he slowly moved his hips up and down, rubbing against him. He leaned in to whisper into Klavier's ear and summoned every drop of courage he could manage. "I have dreams about fucking you in your dressing room," he whispered softly.

They kissed again and continued grinding against one another eagerly. "How are we doing it?" Klavier breathed.

"I think the Khura'inese phrase translates to 'double dragon prayer'," Apollo said, and pulled away. His fingers brushed against the skin of Klavier's abdomen above the top of his underwear. "It's apparently the most respectable and holy way for two men to have sex."

Klavier moaned softly when Apollo slid his hand further down and into his underwear. "I have no idea what that is," he said, and exhaled sharply when Apollo firmly stroked him a few times. "But I want you to fuck me like that right now."

Apollo grinned. He knew he was blushing harder than he ever had in his life. "Okay, we're going to need a lot of lube," he said. "And I hope you practice yoga."

—

They had sex three times that night. The 'double dragon prayer' position only worked for a few minutes before Klavier's legs got too sore, but otherwise the night was even better than Apollo had dreamed about. The sensation of their bodies grinding together, the sounds Klavier made when Apollo was inside of him, the feeling of Klavier's foreskin on his tongue—it was all so intimate and exhilarating.

It was only when the sun had risen high enough to completely illuminate the room did Apollo realize how tired he was. He was face-down against a pillow as Klavier slowly fingered his ass in preparation for another round.

"Actually…nah, I'm done. I'm kind of tired," Apollo said into the pillow.

Klavier gently slid his fingers out and lowered himself down next to Apollo. "Me too," he said. "I should probably go to work soon."

Apollo groaned. He pulled the covers over his head and held them there tightly. "There is no way I'm going into the office today," he said. "I am going to sleep for the next ten years."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. Unfortunately, I have some meetings today and cannot join you."

Apollo's face resurfaced as he turned to look at Klavier. "What would happen if you didn't show up?" he asked.

Klavier smiled and kissed Apollo's cheek. "Herr Edgeworth would wonder what you did to me. I mentioned I was meeting up with you last night."

"Oh, god. Okay, go to your meeting."

"If you think it's important… I could just call him up and explain exactly what we were up to—I'm sure he'd understand." Klavier said, sliding the condom off himself.

"Yeah, right. Go shower," Apollo said, and disappeared under the blanket once more.

—

As promised, Apollo made Klavier breakfast. It was by no means a good breakfast (nor would some people consider it breakfast at all), but it wasn't penicillin and so his end of the agreement was upheld.

"These are the tastiest toasted waffles I have ever had, Herr Forehead," Klavier teased him as he opened a second packet of frozen waffles. "You'll have to give me the recipe."

"I promise I'll get groceries soon," Apollo mumbled.

"Does that mean I'm invited back?" Klavier asked. His smile seemed so warm and inviting to Apollo.

"If you want to come back. Mikeko seems to really like you."

"And what about her owner?"

Apollo smiled too. "Yeah. He also really likes you. Thinks you're kinda hot."

"Kinda?" Klavier winked.

"Okay, he thinks you're super hot and great in bed. Is that better?"

"Ja," Klavier said, kissing Apollo softly. "That's much better."

They ate their waffles on the couch and discussed their plans for the day. Apollo called in sick without any issue, so he was going back to bed as soon as Klavier left. The prosecutor, on the other hand, had a full schedule and was looking at at least a ten-hour day. Apollo felt really bad.

"Don't worry about it, it's my own fault," Klavier said. "I knew I had to do all of these things when I agreed to go to the club last night. Besides, a couple of coffees and I'll be good to go."

"I wish I wasn't actually middle-aged," Apollo said. "I don't think I've ever been that resilient."

It occurred to Apollo they should probably discuss where they stood with each other. He didn't want to assume anything or accidentally imply things he didn't mean. But the moment was so peaceful and warm, so he didn't say anything at all.

Klavier did instead once he'd finished another waffle.

"I guess I'll just say it," he said. "I had an excellent time with you, Herr Forehead, both yesterday evening and last night. I very much would like to take you out to dinner sometime soon."

"Nah, you paid for those stupidly expensive drinks so _I'll_ take _you_ out to dinner sometime soon."

Klavier laughed and shook his head. "Not the point I was trying to make, but sure. Anything that lets me spend more time with you."

"That makes me really happy," Apollo said softly. "I look forward to it."

They slowly made their way to the door, where Mikeko was lying on top of Klavier's shoes. She didn't budge when Apollo poked her gently, so he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She squirmed after a few seconds, so he set her down a few feet away. She immediately ran back over to the shoes.

"Oh, I guess you can't leave now. Sorry. The cat's word is final," Apollo said.

Klavier tried to gently pull the shoes out from under Mikeko, but she didn't move. Eventually he just picked her up with one hand, which caused her to yelp and hop to the floor. "Do you let her dictate your life?" he asked.

"Sometimes. I've been late for work when she starts sleeping on my lap."

"You're such a dork. I can't believe I slept with you," Klavier said, laughing.

"But I bet you want to do it again," Apollo said. He rested his hands on Klavier's face and kissed him deeply.

"Of course," Klavier said, pulling away. "We have to get better at that…what did you call it? Dragon…something?"

"I have no idea. I made that name up," Apollo said. He burst into laughter. "I saw the position in a porn video once."

Klavier laughed until he started coughing. "Apollo Justice, you absolute buffoon," he said. "I thought we were actually doing some ancient and revered sex position."

Apollo shook his head and smiled. He watched Klavier slowly tie his shoes through more fits of laughter and knew, deep inside his chest, he would do whatever he could to hold on to this beautiful, kind, smart man. He felt this so deeply in that moment that it almost scared him. But he was sure—more sure of this than of a lot of things lately—that if he worked hard at reciprocating Klavier's genuine kindness, they could be happy together.

He thought about this after Klavier left and he went back to bed, and again a few hours later when he stripped the filthy sheets from the mattress. He thought about it again a third time when he waited for the dryer to finish a few floors away. He was scrolling through his phone, reading an article that made him laugh out loud in surprise. He opened the calling app.

"Klavier, guess what!" he exclaimed immediately as soon as Klavier picked up the phone on the other end. "I have the best news ever."

"What's up?"

"Okay, so the thing I made up earlier didn't exist, but I just found out about the 'Dance of the Warbaa'd'. You should Google it right now."

Klavier lowered his voice. "Is that…"

"Yeah! I had no idea, it's so _elaborate_."

There was a pause. "Did you want to come over to my place tonight?" Klavier whispered.

"Absolutely. Apparently we need a certain kind of incense, so I'll bring that."

"Excellent, I look forward to it. And maybe bring a diagram?"

"Will do!"


End file.
